4/15/19 Michael Velez

Sociology 210 Professor Chung

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (Los Angeles)

Everyone has a story. It’s a little simplistic, yet necessary to say, that everyone is different.

From the most obvious features that society relies on heavily, like the color of our skins’, to our

own intrinsic habits and personality traits that makes us unique; in fact, our way of being,

thinking, and behaving is all we have to ourselves. Regardless to that truth, we are judged in

conjunction with the people that share our race and culture under the concentrated microscope of

society and its members. This is the case for Mexicans, or Chicanos, that reside in Los Angeles,

California. Racism has been tough for them, and attention has been magnified through the

increase of multimedia coverage; and it certainly doesn’t help that the current President of the

United States, Donald Trump, wants to build a wall on the Mexican border to stop Mexicans

from migrating to the US. This has forced Mexicans to form a ‘us vs them’ mentality. Almost

like a defense mechanism. With a majority of the LA population being Mexican, it can easily be

argued that Los Angeles culture, in large part the food, is Mexican culture in a nutshell. That’s

why Mexicans are uniting to fight for the culture they grew up with, and the sense of nationalism

they have. But they must do this by contending with the modern thinking of an anti-Mexican

movement which would eliminate Los Angeles’ culture and even population.

As time goes on change is inevitable. This is especially true when it comes to conforming to

modern traditions while at the same time passing on your own. This can be seen from the film

when Anthony Bourdain went to the restaurant, “Corazón y Miel”, a restaurant owned by two

childhood friends. Similar to any Mexican restaurant, they kept traditional sauces and childhood
recipes, but it differs in the price. For instance, a bread that seemed like a typical pan de dulce

which they showed in the film, would be the equivalent of around $1. However, judging by the

stature of that restaurant it probably cost much more. Living in modern Los Angeles, it’s not

surprising that there would exist restaurants that are more on the costly side, but when you think

of Mexican food you typically don’t think of a fancy restaurant. You more so think of cart, or

even a small building which they call a restaurant with limited seats. The luxury people expect

now has caused for cultures, even one as prideful as the Mexican one, to adapt slightly to the

demands of the market and the economy of Los Angeles, especially because of how many new

people are moving there now.

This increase on Mexican food shows how modernism has affected Mexicans trying to

increase their economic status, but there is an obvious flip side to this. At the beginning of the

film they said 10% of Los Angeles residents were undocumented, and across the bridge from

Boyle Heights 95% were Mexican or Central American. This means a big makeup of the

undocumented people are Mexicans. Normally undocumented or immigrant is used to connote

negativity and implies Mexicans are unwanted, yet they are the true workforce of Los Angeles

even through this wave of modernism. There aren’t many people who are willing to do the

scrappy and gritty jobs. By getting rid of these people, the middle class won’t be willing to be a

garbage man or janitor which would hurt the economy; there always has to be people willing to

do what others can’t because of circumstance. By getting rid of those people, which are mostly

Mexican, Donald Trump would be hurting not Mexicans, but the nation as a whole. This was

discussed early on in the film.

All of this change in modernism can also connect with the concept of “us vs them”.

Although hate and discrimination is inevitable, it is how you handle that adversity that tells the
story. For Mexicans they choose to be calm and unified while at the same time coping with

certain realities. For example, rent in Chicano areas has increased and hipsters are starting to

move in, as stated by Elisa Sol Garcia. More and more Mexicans are becoming homeless as a

result of this. But instead of panicking, every person in the film seemed to have their composure

on how to bring about change. This was especially true when they were asked by Anthony

Bourdain about Donald Trump’s plan to send back Mexicans and build a wall over the Mexican-

American border. Adversity is always the best way to unify people, but with the family first

values that Mexicans carry, it gives them more reason to fight a visible cause in Los Angeles.

Aside from adversity, that doesn’t have to be the only factor that brings people together.

Music is universally bringing people together, because they feel a lyrical connection to the lyrics.

The artist, Morrissey connects with Mexicans. The likely reason being the sense of displacement

Morrissey and Mexicans both faces. Although Morrissey is Irish, a lot of his lyrics, according to

the film, are about things in life going wrong. As shown throughout the film it’s not overly far-

fetched to understand why Mexicans would cope with their feelings with this type of music.

From feeling like it’s “us vs them” and having to adjust to modernism, Mexicans just need

something or someone that can empathize with them.

The history of Mexicans, and just how hard they work is essential to understand why they

have a mentality of “us v.s them”. Tradition is so important to them, and anyone who tries to

tamper with it won’t get far. When Bourdain went to the restaurant with the mole sauce, it was

explained that the sauce originated 10,000 years ago from the village of Tlacolula. To think that

a tradition —successful or not which is beside the point— would continue to be passed on is

impressive and speaks to what Mexicans value. If they are willing to go that far to preserve

tradition, then there is no doubt that a “us v.s them” attitude exists. Perhaps that’s the reason they
are so hesitant to give up all they have worked for. The discrimination they face from Trump and

the media; the downtown gentrification which is causing homelessness; the development of

traditional Mexican food, these are all cries, in a sense, represented through the heart of Los

Angeles. Mexicans make a up a big chunk of what it means to be from LA, and they refuse to be

ignored as seen by the film.

This film was the epitome of what union is. It seemed like every person in that film, whether

on appearance or diction, were totally different. Interestingly enough, however, they all shared

similar views and struggles as an average Mexican resident in Los Angeles. They all had to fight

with changes due to modernism. The changes in the way they are viewed by others, and even

prices have made it tougher on them. While this has been tough, the discrimination they

currently face is what has been most challenging. Ironically though, that mutual struggle has

brought them together. Although, it’s always difficult to bring about change, it makes it easier

when a race or culture is unified. It also helps that they make their presence felt throughout one

of the most famous cities in the world with many aspects of their culture: buildings, food,

dances, music, and so on. To think of discretionary ideas that seem like an abomination to the

educated, such as mass deportation of Mexicans, is ridiculous, but not worrisome for them. As

seen in the film everyone is strong and together, and no matter what you do or think at this point,

the Chicanos will always play an important role in LA. And as some people said, they are what

makes up Los Angeles itself.